Western Sahara Resource Watch

Graphical design – help needed!

WSRW seeks logo for a campaign against the illegal and unethical EU-Moroccan fisheries cooperation. The winner design will be used for an EU-wide campaign and get great exposure! Deadline postponed till 29 August 2009.

Published 13 August 2009

Sahrawi in Western Sahara: "Irish companies: leave our land!"

The news that Irish oil firms Island Oil & Gas, Longreach and San Leon have obtained a full exploration licence for an area near occupied Smara, has triggered a response from the native inhabitants of the territory. And it\'s not a welcoming one.

Published 24 July 2009

Irish oil firms awarded exploration licence in occupied Smara

Both San Leon and Island Oil & Gas have announced that the Zag Reconnaissance Licence has been upgraded to a full Exploration Licence. The Zag basin is located near Smara, occupied Western Sahara.

Published 23 July 2009

Polisario protests Morocco's oil provocations

While under peace talks, Morocco is speeding up its plans for illegal oil search in occupied Western Sahara. The provocation has led Polisario to protest Morocco's actions to the UN Security Council. Read letter dated 6 July 2009 here.

Published 08 July 2009

Landmark: Peak Phosphorus

Australian agribusiness magazine Landmark in its latest issue elaborates on the world depleting phosphates deposits, and Australia's dependency on phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 07 July 2009

Demands Doehle to terminate transports

WSRW, together with Dr. Werner Ruf, professor for international relations at University of Kassel, demand that the German shipping company stops future shipments from Western Sahara.

Published 03 July 2009

German shipping company Doehle in unethical transport

This week-end, German shipping company Doehle\'s vessel \'Sagitta\' arrived Colombia with phosphates from occupied Western Sahara.

Published 26 June 2009

WSRW asks Sweden to take the lead

1 July 2009, Sweden will take on the presidency of the European Council. Western Sahara Resource Watch urges in a letter today the Swedish government to raise the issue of the legality of the EU-Moroccco fisheries agreement.

Published 25 June 2009

Vessels detained in Western Sahara

2 vessels, one Spanish and one Cape Verdean, have been detained by the Moroccan coastguard after illegal fishing in Western Sahara.

Published 25 June 2009

Unethical Kiwi firms keep straight ahead

Despite protests, the New Zealand fertilizer companies Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients keep up their unethical imports of phosphates from occupied Western Sahara. Ballance received a shipment last month, while Ravensdown is expecting its next cargo mid-July.

Published 22 June 2009

Escalation to full exploration in Smara

Irish oil firms will explore for oil in the Smara area in complete violation of international law.

Published 22 June 2009

Something doesn’t add up

Up to 524 square kilometres of Island Oil and Gas acreage are missing in Western Sahara/Morocco.

Published 22 June 2009

Irish firms to explore Tarfaya oil - on Western Sahara border

But on which side of the border?

Published 22 June 2009

This vessel provoked the Moroccan police

The oil tanker Purple Gem is said to have carried a Saharawi flag upon entering the port of El Aaiun this week. Then the Moroccan police intervened.

Published 21 June 2009

Forbes: King of Rock

A special report in Forbes Magazine 17 June 2009 covered the Moroccan monarch\'s income from the phosphate industry. King Mohamed\'s wealth increased with 1 billion dollars in 2008, after sky-high global phosphate prices. Much of the industry is taking place in occupied Western Sahara. King Mohamed is one of the richest monarchs in the world.

Published 20 June 2009

Western Sahara plunder discussed in UN decolonisation committee

Western Sahara has been treated by the UN as a decolonisation issue since the 1960s. 16 June 2009, the plundering was discussed in the committee.

Published 17 June 2009

Letter to Mosaic Co regarding phosphate imports

Email sent from WSRW Florida to Mosaic Co, 12 June 2009.

Published 12 June 2009

Press release: Brown called on to take action

Press release from the Western Sahara Campaign UK today, announces that a delegation of MP’s, High Commissioners and representatives of the exiled Western Saharan government today will go to 10 Downing Street to call on the British government to take the lead in resolving the Western Sahara conflict.

Published 12 June 2009

British MPs call on amending EU-Moroccan fisheries agreement

The Western Sahara group on the British parliament, consisting of 20 parliamentarians from all political parties, call on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis in Western Sahara. Today, the group handed over letter to the government, urging the UK to take a lead in the Security Council, and to work for the halt of the resource plundering in the occupied territory.

Published 12 June 2009

WSRW asks USTDA how its Western Sahara policy will be followed

In 2005, USTDA stated that it "has not and would not support any activities in Western Sahara”. On 4 June 2009, Western Sahara Resource Watch and the US based Defense Forum Foundation sent a letter to the agency asking how this policy will be followed, considering the grants which are now being given to infrastructure projects for Morocccan fisheries. WSRW points to the fact that most of the Moroccan fisheries is taking place in Western Sahara.

Published 11 June 2009